Visit the Tobacco farm Life Museum for engaging, hands-on programming for your school group! The museum hosts educational programs to explore Eastern North Carolina's rich history of agriculture and industry. Through history, science, and English language arts, students can participate in hands-on activities exploring agriculture and rural life from 1900-1950.
A visit to the museum will rotate through three thirty-minute stations, totaling an hour and a half. There is no charge for educational programs. Please note that the historic buildings are currently inaccessible to the public.
Teachers can choose three of the following programs.
Agriculture in North Carolina – Farming Tobacco
Students will explore agricultural history of North Carolina through the lens of a rural farm from 1900-1950. Students will learn about the importance of crops to the economy, who worked in agriculture in the 20th century, and how they worked to grow crops. Students will discuss the health hazards of growing and consuming tobacco, and why it was such an important crop to the state.
Agriculture in North Carolina – Curing tobacco
Students will learn about the what happens to crops like tobacco after they are harvested. They will discuss the divisions of labor on a farm, what type of work children were expected to help with, and the hazards of doing work on a tobacco farm. This station includes a hands-on activity where students will learn about tobacco looping.
Hands-on History: Object Investigation
Students will become history investigators by exploring historic objects. Students will discuss the different types of materials people use to learn about history, with a focus on material culture. They will use their senses to interact with objects in the museum’s education collection and explore what these objects are made of, if we have similar objects today, what these objects tell us about the people who used them, and more.
Hands-on History: Games and Play
Students will explore what children did for fun in the early to mid-20th century. Students will participate in games and activities that were often enjoyed by kids and adults from 1900-1950. Students will draw comparisons to what they do for fun and leisure activities today and whether our lives are really that different from those in the early 20th century.
As we continue to update our field trip offerings, check back with us for opportunities to come to the site and interact with the agricultural history of North Carolina!
Schedule a school group
- Select your preferred date and an alternative date, and what time you would like to visit. Programs begin at 10:00 or 10:30.
- We require a strict minimum of 12 participating students for educational programs. We are able to accommodate up to 75 total students per visit.
- When you are ready to schedule an educational program, contact Grayson Butler at grayson.butler@dncr.nc.gov to request a reservation. We require a minimum of two weeks advance notice for programs. Please provide the following information in the email request:
- School name, city, and county.
- Grade level and number of students expected to attend.
- Number of teachers and chaperones expected to attend.
- Name of the group contact, the group contact's phone number and email address.
- School name, city, and county.
Please note that your group visit is not finalized until you hear back from a staff member.